• Entertainment

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

March 17, 2022

FUBU Founder J. Alexander Martin Launches For Us By Us Network

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J. Alexander Martin, founder of iconic fashion brand “FUBU,” and successful producer Roberto “Rush” Evans, announced the launch of For Us By Us Network. The new platform will feature quality movies, very authentic and raw content around topics, people and trends related to the hip hop culture and lifestyle launching April 2022.

Programs previously released by For Us By Us Network, on their website will be incorporated into the For Us By Us Network library, which will also include original episodic series and feature films. For Us By Us Network will launch with a suggested retail price of $24.99/quarterly or $79.99/annually, thereafter.

J. Alexander Martin, an iconic fashion mogul, who created major fashion trends in the late 90s, netting $350 million in sales through 5,000 retail stores and eventually grossing more than six billion dollars globally, has been one of the greatest innovative and creative businessmen in the world. Responsible for launching one of the most lucrative fashion brands, Martin continues to set the standard high in creating content for the culture.

“As one of the founders of FUBU, I have gained a very deep comprehension and awareness about the urban consumer and what appeals to them in the form of not only fashion, but entertainment. For Us By Us Network was created so that we could provide quality content for the culture.” said J. Alexander Martin, co-owner and CEO, For Us By Us Network.

Co-Founder Roberto “Rush” Evans will oversee production. For the last decade, Rush served as the former head of creative and production for Monami Entertainment, the Company behind the Love and Hip Hop Franchise, and also created the viral series King of South Beach. Rush concentrates on the likes of pop culture delivered through fresh, innovative content. Utilizing music, TV, film and the Internet as forms of delivery. Rush also entered in a production deal with Broadway Video, the TV Production Company headed by Lorne Michaels and responsible for such shows as Saturday Night Live, 30-Rock and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

Commenting on For Us By Us Network’s launch, Roberto “Rush” Evans, co-owner and president says, “Our platform will be very unique and I’m excited that we will be able to deliver an extraordinary library of movies, series and original content related to the hip hop culture and lifestyle.”

Among the titles launching are The Making of Saucy Santana and Slaughter Slays. Original films and series included are, Fosters Law, Cocaine Sisters and Vicious starring Tami Roman, directed by Kim Fields.

The new platform fuels For Us By Us Network’s direct-to-consumer live TV streaming service and creating a unique blended advertising video-on-demand (AVOD) and subscription video-on demand (SVOD) platform. For Us By Us Network will have a built-in audience focused on its original and licensed content that is targeted to the African American audience. Some content will be free to subscribers as ad based and other premium content will be subscription based. The Company leverages its branding expertise and will create cultural content for national and international growth to accelerate subscriptions and optimize the value of its programs for distinct audiences.

For Us By Us Network has a proven past in creating current, trendy, relevant and fresh content which has attracted millions of views through shows such as Chopping It Up With Charles Oakley Cooking Show.

For Us By Us Network will be based in Los Angeles, led by CEO J. Alexander Martin.

After hurling a racially insensitive word at Comedy Central’s Trevor Noah after another Instagram rant, Kanye West has been hit with a 24-hour suspension from social media platform Instagram, according to Variety,

The eccentric rapper has overstepped the platform’s policy regarding harassment. A Meta spokesperson has confirmed that the content he posted has been deleted for violating their hate speech, bullying, and harassment policies. Ye was restricted from posting, commenting, and sending DMs for 24 hours with this action. The restriction is due to repeatedly violating rules. The company will take additional measures if further violations occur.

During Tuesday night’s episode of The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, the late-night host explained why people should “pay attention” to Kanye’s disturbing behavior against Kim Kardashian and her new boyfriend, Pete Davidson.

Unpacking the Kim-Kanye-Pete situation and the harassment many women face when trying to leave a relationship. pic.twitter.com/qF3cfiYL9R

— The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) March 16, 2022

After getting wind of the episode, Ye took to Instagram to call the South African comic a “Koon,” TMZ reports.

“K**n baya my lord k**n baya K**n baya my lord K**n baya Oooo’ lord K**n baya,” Kanye captioned the post.

The reference “Koon” refers to the word coon, a highly offensive word to Black people.

According to Ferris.edu: “The name itself, an abbreviation of raccoon, is dehumanizing. As with Sambo, the coon was portrayed as a lazy, easily frightened, chronically idle, inarticulate, buffoon.”

Noah’s comments come after Ye’s disturbing behavior toward several people who have spoken out against his outbursts against Kardashian or his antics over the past several months.

When Ye went after his good friend and fellow comic D. L. Hughley, Comedian Steve Harvey added his two cents.

“Look, man, cmon dog. Pull up, man. It ain’t what you want. If y’all do get to scrappin’, all my cash on D.L. We from an ass-whoopin’ era. D.L. ain’t ya problem. Don’t go out there against that man’s family.”

• Lifestyle

by Atiya Jordan

March 17, 2022

Wendy Williams Promises A ‘Bigger’ Comeback, Says She’s ‘Ready’ To Return To TV In 3 Months

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Despite months of speculation regarding her well-being, Wendy Williams sets the record straight while promising her fans that she is ready and able to get back to work.

The media personality told Good Morning America Thursday that she’s “comfortable” and “ready” to begin working again, weeks after it was announced that former The View co-host Sherri Shepherd would inherit the media queen’s time slot with her own talk series following the cancellation of The Wendy Williams Show. Shepherd, a fan favorite, previously filled in for Williams during her absence.

“[My] health is very well, and I’ve actually had a few appointments. I’m 57 now, and I have the mind and body of a 25-year-old,” Williams told GMA’s T.J. Holmes after taking extended breaks from her show due to her Graves’ disease diagnosis, as well as other health complications.

She added, “I’m very comfortable. My partners with the show, everybody’s ready. Give me about three months. There are private things that I have to deal with, and then I’ll be ready to come back and be free and ready to do my thing.”

She addressed her fans directly, instilling some hope for a possible comeback season during the conversation.

“This is what I would love to say to my Wendy watchers: Keep watching because I’m going to be back on the Wendy show bigger and brighter than ever.”

Amid Williams’ health struggles, she told the morning show that her legal battle with Wells Fargo Bank, which reportedly froze her accounts of millions, prevented her from fulfilling her financial obligations, including mortgage payments and employee payroll. BLACK ENTERPRISE previously reported that the bank denied her access to her funds, claiming she was of “unsound mind,” according to court filings.

Wells Fargo stated they had the authority to “pause or reject instructions for a proposed transaction,’ pending judicial or administrative remedies” after suspecting Williams was a “victim of undue influence and financial exploitation,” court documents claimed. Williams denied these allegations.

“They say anything, including something crazy like that, about me,” Williams told GMA of the claim. “They’re saying that I need somebody to handle my accounts, and I don’t want that. I want all my money. I want to see all my money that I’ve worked hard for my entire life. I don’t lie, I don’t cheat, and I don’t steal. I’m an honest, hard-working person.”

She continued, “I want to spend more time with my family. “And you know, working out and waiting for the responses to my money situation and Wells Fargo. And they don’t like that. I’ve worked hard every single day, even on days when you know, I might have a little cold.”

• Business

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

March 17, 2022

Meet Carmen Tapio, the Founder of Nebraska’s Largest Black-Owned Business

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Carmen Tapio is the founder and CEO of a multi-million dollar contact center called North End Teleservices, the largest Black-owned business in the state of Nebraska. She established the company with the aim to create jobs in a local Black community plagued with a high unemployment rate.

“We hear about the challenges of finding qualified people all the time,” Tapio said in an interview with USA Today.

“Some companies have gone so far to say there are no people of color who can do jobs in their industry. ‘We can’t find you,’ is not a good excuse. In fact, it’s a really stupid excuse, in my opinion.”

Tapio, who began gaining experience in the teleservices industry at the age of 18, wanted to overcome such an idea. She founded North End Teleservices in 2015 and since then, the company has been providing a wide range of advanced contact center solutions and exceptional service delivery to clients globally.

With a passion for helping the community and not just in business, Tapio makes sure the company doesn’t only help them visualize their success but also actively help them to achieve it. She serves as a servant-leader who believes that with the advancement of each individual and family, the community wins as a whole.

Under her leadership, North End Teleservices has been recognized by numerous organizations such as the Greater Omaha Chamber and the Urban League of Nebraska. It is also included on the Inc. 5000 list of Fastest Growing Privately Held Companies.

Moreover, Tapio also serves as a member of several boards and a council chair of the Chamber’s Commitment to Opportunity Diversity and Equity. Last year, Tapio created Nebraska Black Women United last year wherein women can connect with each other to support, celebrate and encourage each other.

This article first appeared on Blackbusiness.com. 

• Men

by Derek Major

March 17, 2022

GOP Senate Candidate Herschel Walker Questions Evolution In Strange Statement, ‘Why Are There Still Apes?’

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Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker questioned the theory of evolution in an interview at a Georgia church Sunday.

“At one time, science said man came from apes, did it not?” Walker said on Sunday at the Sugar Hill Church in Sugar Hill, Georgia, during an interview.

Sugar Hill Church’s Lead Pastor Chuck Allen responded, “Every time I read or hear that, I think to myself, ‘You just didn’t read the same Bible I did.'”

“That’s what’s interesting, though. If that is true, why are there still apes? Think about it,” Walker continued.

Walker, a former running back for the Dallas Cowboys, is running for Rev. Raphael Warnock‘s Senate seat. Former President Donald Trump has endorsed the former running back. The two men know each other well as Walker previously played for the USFL’s New Jersey Generals, which was owned at one time by Trump.

NPR reports Walker also questioned science’s role in human conception and development.

“Then the conception of a baby. Let me tell you, science can’t do that,” Walker said. “They’re trying to do it, but it can’t, because there had to be a God.”

When asked for clarification on his comment, Walker’s Communications Director Mallory Blount told NPR, “Herschel believes all human life is created by God.”

Walker’s Senate run has led to some of the darker days of the former running back’s life. After releasing his 2008 book, where he describes his mental health issues, his ex-wife Cynthia Grossman said he pointed a gun at her head and threatened to kill her.

The pair divorced in 2001, and in 2005 Grossman was granted a protective order against Walker. Axios reported that two other women have also accused the former running back of domestic violence, but his campaign denied the claims.

The former Cowboy is the favorite to win the Republican nomination and challenge Warnock for his seat. Trump will also hold a rally next week in Commerce, Georgia, for both Walker and Sen. David Perdue (R), who is running against Gov. Brian Kemp in the Republican primary for governor.

• Sports

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

March 17, 2022

Bermuda Launches Black Golfers Week to Promote Diversity in Sport

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Bermuda Tourism Authority (BTA), in partnership with the APGA Tour and PGA Magazine, marked the culmination of Black History Month with the announcement of an APGA Tournament to kick off the inaugural Bermuda Black Golfers Week in October 2022.

Black Golfers Week is an initiative to help promote diversity in sport through sports tourism. With the support of Butterfield Bermuda Championship, BTA held a preview weekend event in 2021 to showcase the concept and bring partners, sponsors, and influencers together as a taster for what is planned in 2022.

Former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson has launched a product that brings us back to a time in his career that is very memorable!

According to The Mirror, the legendary boxer recently launched his very own line of edible gummies, “Mike Bites.” The cannabis product celebrates the controversial boxing match that got Tyson suspended when he bit off a piece of Evander Holyfield’s ear. That fight took place in 1997.

Mike Bites will be sold at dispensaries in three states, Massachusetts, California, and Nevada. Tyson’s company, Tyson 2.0, announced the product line via its Twitter account earlier this week.

Holy ears! They’re finally here! Go get your Mike Bites now 👂😤 pic.twitter.com/BCbXcdYcra

— ItsTyson20 (@itstyson20) March 15, 2022

The said gummies will be ear-shaped in honor of the iconic yet controversial 1997 heavyweight match between Tyson and Evander Holyfield in which he bit his opponent’s ear.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Tyson 2.0 (@itstyson20)

Tyson 2.0 CEO Adam Wilks feels that this will be another successful cannabis product for Tyson. He sat down with Yahoo Finance in an exclusive interview with his partner, co-founder and chairman, Chad Bronstein. When asked why Tyson has been successful in the cannabis space, Wilks stated it is because of the former boxer’s authenticity.

“Honestly, it’s one word—authenticity. Mike’s the most authentic celebrity athlete that there is in the cannabis space. There are so many celebrities that have tried to do what we’ve done with Tyson 2.0, but unfortunately, none of them have been as successful as we have. Mike has been an advocate for cannabis his whole life and is open about the benefits that the cannabis plays in Mike’s life.”

Although the bitten ear-shaped gummies are patterned after Holyfield’s ear during the 1997 fight, Holyfield isn’t getting a “piece” of the profits. Although the two are on good terms now, Bronstein said they will be “reaching out to Evander, and we hope—I think at this point, I think it should be hopefully a positive response.”

Tyson 2.0 CEO Adam Wilks and Co-Founder Chad Bronstein discuss working with former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson to create ear-shaped cannabis-infused gummies: pic.twitter.com/ANFZatfjth

— Yahoo Finance (@YahooFinance) March 16, 2022

• News

by Atiya Jordan

March 17, 2022

North Carolina Pastor Hosts ‘Gas on God’ Event, Gifting $10,000 In Gasoline Cards

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With gas prices nationwide approaching an all-time high last week, a pastor from Charlotte, North Carolina, wanted to alleviate some of the financial burdens families face.

As Spectrum News 1 reported, Pastor Brian Carn of Kingdom City Church hosted a “Gas on God” event last weekend, gifting $10,000 worth of free gas to more than 300 drivers on the west side of Charlotte.

He said running out of gas is a feeling no one wants to have, especially when children are involved. So he wanted to offer blessings to the community.

“Whenever people have to make a choice between gas and children going to school or eating, it’s a real tragedy,” he said.

According to the American Automobile Association, the current average cost of gas prices in North Carolina is $4.139. Gas prices continue to soar due to post-pandemic inflation and the effects of Russia’s attack on Ukraine after the Biden administration banned Russian oil and other fuel imports to the United States.

JPMorgan estimated more than 4 million barrels per day of Russian oil had been effectively sidelined. As per CNN, investors are essentially pricing oil at a higher price as if Russia’s supply isn’t available at all.

“We got to get out here. People are hurting. People have situations,” Carn told WCNC. “One man literally pushed his car up here, was out of gas. Another lady came and said, ‘I don’t need gas, but I need prayer.’”

Founded in September 2016, Pastor Carn has overseen the expansion of Kingdom City Church into three total campuses in Charlotte, Jacksonville, Florida, and Houston.

The collective also distributed grocery gift cards and delivered drive-up prayers and encouragement for those in need at the event. Volunteers kept drivers motivated and positive, while some waited for hours to fill up their tanks.

One of the volunteers at the event, Angela Ashley told WCNC, “All this stuff going on in the world, so we’re trying to make sure everybody got gas and everything, food, whatever. There’s a shortage of everything, so we’re trying to be a blessing to the people.”

Earlier this month, the Recording Academy (the organization that presents the annual Grammy Awards) released the Women In The Mix Study, which explores the experiences of women and gender-expansive people in the music business. The study was developed in collaboration with Arizona State University and Berklee College of Music Institute for Creative Entrepreneurship to help create a more inclusive and equitable industry. However, the findings reveal that a lot more work needs to be done.

According to the study, women in the music industry work multiple jobs and long hours to make ends meet. More than half (57%) have two or more jobs, while 24% work between 40 and 51 hours each week, and an additional 28% work more than 50 hours per week. Plus, 36% earn less than $40,000 per year.

In addition to being overworked and underpaid, the study finds that women are severely underrepresented in the industry, accounting for 21.6% of artists, 12.6% of songwriters, and just a mere 2.6% of producers.

Furthermore, the findings, which surveyed over 1,600 women, reveal that 84% of respondents faced discrimination. Seventy-seven reported being treated differently due to their gender, while 60% said they faced ageism. Meanwhile, women of color reported the highest level of discomfort and job dissatisfaction. Gender-expansive individuals were also less satisfied than CIS women by a 16% margin.

“The Women in the Mix study is a groundbreaking account of the realities and decisions that we as women working in music are publicly and privately making each day,” said Valeisha Butterfield Jones, co-president of the Recording Academy. in a statement. “By centering this study around active listening, learning, and building solutions, we’ve armed the industry with valuable data about the barriers affecting women in music and how we can together take a stand.”

Butterfield Jones, who was tapped to serve as the Academy’s first-ever Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer in 2020 before being elevated to co-president in June 2021, says one way to drive change and equity is through metrics.

“You can’t change what you don’t measure,” she told BLACK ENTERPRISE. She added that the Academy plans to take measurable action to ensure “women are safe, that we feel like we belong in these environments, but also that we have true equity and parity across the board.”

In addition to sharing their experiences, more than 1,000 respondents provided suggestions to promote progress and equity in the music industry. The Academy, ASU, and Berklee used that data to propose several recommendations for the music industry to help foster representation for women. This includes recruitment pledges to hire diverse and robust candidates, paid internships, and soft skill development initiatives. Other recommendations include mentorship, grants, and raising funds for advocacy groups to help level the playing field for women.

Furthermore, to help address issues surrounding access to resources and opportunities, the academy issued $10,000 grants to the following organizations that support the growth of women and girls in music: Beats by Girlz, Femme It Forward, Girls Make Beats, She Is the Music, and Women’s Audio Mission.

During an Instagram Live interview with The Recording Academy, actress and trans activist Michaela Jaé (MJ) Rodriguez urged the music industry to prioritize women’s pay to create real change.

“It’s as simple as that. We work hard. And if we’re being overworked, then we need to be paid for the overtime that we’re doing,” said the Pose star. “If you are there and you are equipped and qualified to do the job, then you should be getting the pay that you deserve.”

Likewise, legendary musician Sheila E. took to Instagram Live to discuss how the Academy can make a difference and help amplify women in the music industry.

“Yes, we’re overpaid, and we’re overworked, and in 2022, maybe now we, as women, will get paid…what we should have been getting a long time ago.” She added, “I do think that we’re moving in the right direction. I just feel that it’s so easy, just to do the right thing.”

Watch The Recording Academy co-president Valeisha Butterfield Jones’s exclusive interview on her mission to increase diversity and equity in the music business and the upcoming Grammy Awards on The New Norm With Selena Hill.